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harmonize_rpg2014-02-17 01:58 pm
A Wild Plot Appears!
WHAT: Just a little scribble-scrabble.
WHERE: Chitoku Academy front gate
WHEN: Monday, May 15th, after classes, but before club activities.
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By the time classes were over, a small but growing group of students had already gathered at the front gate of Chitoku Academy. Rumors, as they were wont to do, had spread fast, and student after student left their final classes of the day to see just what had happened.
Nothing was visible until they stepped outside the school property. There, on the fine stone wall on either side of the school's wrought iron gate, was what they had been looking for.
Various slogans were scrawled on the stone in what appeared to be red spray paint. Notably, most of the words written were not in hiragana, katakana, or kanji, but rather English. Those who cared to look saw phrases such as “REMEMBER NANJING!” and “WE NEED ARTICLE IX!”
Perhaps most notably, though, the flagpole standing alongside the gate no longer flew the Rising Sun Flag that had been adopted by the current government. In its place was the more traditional Hinomaru, the red circle emblazoned proudly on the white background, along with a second flag, identifiable by at least some in the crowd as bearing the emblem of the United Nations.
Staff milled around, doing its level best to disperse the students, and send them off to their dorms, homes, or club activities, but there was a notable sense of unease in the air...
no subject
What was this? Chloe stared at the writing on the wall, looked up at the flags... who would have done this? Admittedly, she wasn't sure what Article IX referred to, but she had a bit of knowledge on Nanjing. Her mother had glossed over it with her during one of her talks about work.
The German merely stood there, staring at the words. What could this mean? Given how prestigious this school was, how had someone been able to comit such vandalism without anyone else noticing them? All these questions mulled around in the German's mind and, for just a moment, she forgot about the stares that always came with her presence.
no subject
He parted the crowd fairly easily, making his way through the front gate, to read the spray-painted slogans.
"Hrmmm," he mused, looking them over. "Interesting. VERY interesting."
It was then that he spotted Chloe taking in the scene as well, and waved in her direction, jogging over the brief distance.
no subject
"What is Article IX?"
It sounded almost like a statement rather than a question.
no subject
The question, though, was something he could answer.
"Given context," Taue began, "it almost definitely refers to Article IX of the Japanese constitution. It basically states that Japan renounces war as a sovereign right. It means we don't have a standing army or any of that kind of stuff. It's...getting less popular these days, though. Lot of people are afraid of China and North Korea. Bunch of people in the government, and I guess a lot of regular citizens to, want to get rid of it."
He paused for a moment, and looked at the German a bit warily.
"I've heard there were protest groups on Kobe. Didn't think we'd see any of their work here, though..."
no subject
"Was it a student, perhaps?"
no subject
She paused to peek at the graffiti on the gate, instantly coloring as if she'd accidentally glimpsed something pornographic. She nodded a quiet greeting to Chloe and the boy she was talking with, then continued on her way.
There were hungry cats to feed.
no subject
"It could be, I guess? I'd bet it's not a lot of people. Too many would be noticed. You could probably spraypaint the gate in a half-hour or so. I just...don't think it's likely."
no subject
"Surprising resistance."
She mumbled, her gaze returning to the red paint on the walls.
no subject
No matter how much of a united front the Japanese government put up, and how concerned much of the populace was...not everyone was always happy with the results of the country's newfound national pride.
"The really surprising part is that it's been done this...blatantly? Most people who support Article IX aren't this...boisterous about it. It's definitely interesting. Wonder if Kobe's got more than meets the eye going on."
no subject
Her head suddenly perked up when she heard Taue and Chloe. She excused herself as she slipped past some other students until she found herself around a few feet away from them. Hearing the tail end, she said,
"Huh...you're a local though. Never heard anything before?"
no subject
"There are people who disagree with the government, but you can find those everywhere," he explained, a bit nervously. "That's not the odd part, really. This is just...organized. You'd need to be. This school's government property. It's not like vandalizing some random shop, you know?"
Taue nodded, almost as if to convince himself of his line of thought.
"Has to be the work of a group, I think," Shinichiro said, after another moment. "And if so, I doubt they're easily findable."
no subject
She allowed an ominous beat. "It was an inside job? Youths inside the school rising up or getting a kick out of rising up all this fuss?" She shrugged though. "Or something."